Some 3 billion people in the world live outside the cash economy in the world’s poorest nations. Food security and regular supply are their daily concerns. Chronic malnutrition is a leading cause of death and disease for them. Young children are amongst the most affected. One child every 5-10 seconds dies from undernutrition. Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness for someone every minute. Most people in tropical and subtropical countries are iron deficient.
Our goal is to provide information that enables people to choose the right plant for their environment, to give them stable food production and a greater choice of plants to enrich their diets and improve their nutritional wellbeing.
The plant fact sheets listed in this collection are only a small portion of those available from FPI. Please check your plant inquiries in the ECHO Search and reference the FPI plant database for further information.
Most of the plants selected to list here are further described in country-specific publications by Food Plant Solutions (FPS in the Search).
8000 Starchy Staples
7000 Legumes
6000 Leafy Greens
5000 Fruits
4000 Vegetables
3000 Nuts, Seeds, Herbs, and other foods
948 Issues in this Publication (Showing issues 5000 - 5000) Previous | Next
Citrus unshiu - Satsuma Mandarin, Satsuma Orange
Edible Portion: Fruit
A small evergreen tree. It has spines. It grows 3-4 m high. The leaves are thin and slightly leathery. They are smooth, and shiny on the upper surface. They are 4-8 cm long. The leaf stalk is 2-4 cm long and has wings. The flowers can occur singly or in small groups in the axils of leaves. The fruit are round and have a thin skin. The fruit has segments that separate easily and a skin that is easily removed. They do not have seeds.
Clymenia polyandra - Clymenia, Polyandra Kumquat
Edible Portion: Fruit
A citrus relative. The tree is 5-8 m tall. The leaves are large (18 cm x 6 cm) and simple. Young leaves have lobes. The leaves are more thin and papery than other citrus. The leaves taper towards the tip and have notched edges. The leaf stalks are short and without wings. It does not have thorns. The flowers are dark yellow and 2.5-3 cm across. They occur either singly, or as 2 -4 together, in the axils of leaves. The fruit is yellow and the size of a large lime. They are 7-10 cm long by 6-8 cm wide. The flesh is edible. The skin of the fruit can irritate human skin. The seeds are flattish with lines on them.
Coccinia grandis - Ivy Gourd
Edible Portion: Leaves, Fruit, Tubers, Root, Vegetable, Seeds
A pumpkin family plant. It is a climbing or trailing herb. It can climb 20 m high. It has single tendrils. It has long tuberous roots. The leaves are heart shaped, with the lobes towards the base in an angular shape. The leaves are 5-10 cm across. The edges of the leaves are irregular. The flowers occur as male and female flowers on separate plants. The flowers are large and white and occur singly. The fruit is oblong and up to 10 cm long by 2.5 cm across. It is green with white stripes. The fruit become bright red when mature. The seeds are white or light brown. They are hairy and flattened with a broad rim.
Combretum indicum - Rangoon Creeper, Chinese Honeysuckle
Edible Portion: Fruit, Seeds, Leaves, Stems
A scrambling shrub or vine. The stem is strong and woody. It branches freely. It can climb to 20 m high. The plant is erect and shrub like when young. The twigs have soft brown hairs when young. The leaves are opposite and oblong. They have heart shaped bases. They are 8-18 cm long and 4-6 cm wide. They have long sharp tips and prominent veins. The flowers are at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves, sometimes in large clusters. There are broad bracts near the flowers. The flowers have a smell and vary between white, pink and purple. The colour changes and darkens over 3 days. The fruit is narrow and long. It is dry and light and has 5 wings along the sides.
Cordia alliodora - Ecuador Laurel, Spanish Elm
Edible Portion: Fruit, Bark - Spice
A tree. It grows 12 m high. The trunk is smooth and light coloured. There or four branches develop from a swelling on the stem. The leaf stalks are 1-3 cm long. The leaf blades are oblong and 10-20 cm long by 3-8 cm wide. The flowers are in a loosely branched arrangement. This is 10-30 cm across. The fruit is about 5 mm long.
Cupaniopsis anacardioides - Tuckeroo, Beach Tamarind, Carrotwood
Edible Portion: Fruit
An evergreen tree. It grows 8-15 m high. It can spread 5-15 m across. It has a dense rounded crown. The trunk is smooth and pale grey. The inner bark is orange. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are 10-20 cm long with 2-6 pairs of opposite leaflets. The leaflets are leathery and dark green. They are oblong with a rounded tip. They are 7-10 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The flowers are greenish-white. The fruit occur in long chains. They are orange. They are leathery and have 3-6 lobes. They are 1-2 cm across. The seeds are black. They have a reddish attachment.
Daemonorops jenkinsiana - Major Jenkins' Rattan Palm
Edible Portion: Shoots, Palm Heart, Cabbage, Fruit
A rattan or vine. It forms dense clumps. It can be climbing and 25 m long. The stems can be 6 cm across. The leaf sheaths are yellowish green with brown to red hairs. The leafy stalks are 3 m long. There are 55-100 narrow leaflets on each side. The leaves have stout spines. There are several leaflets. The fruit are round or oval and yellowish brown. They are 2 cm long and 2 cm across.
Diospyros kaki - Persimmon, Japanese Persimmon, Kaki
Edible Portion: Fruit, Leaves - Tea, Seeds - Coffee
A tree up to 12 m high which loses its leaves each year. The branches tend to hang over and they have a dense covering of leaves. Leaves are long and pointed (10 x 6 cm). The leaves are dark green and shiny on top and lighter under. Young leaves are pale green and old leaves turn yellow or red before they fall. Male and female flowers are normally on separate tree. Therefore pollinator trees often help. Sometimes male and female flowers occur on the same tree. Fruit are 7 cm across, with flattened ends and orange with a thin skin. It can have a few large seeds inside or be seedless. Pollination and seeding influence flavour and fruit ripeness. There are many varieties. Fuya cultivated varieties are eaten when firm and Hachiya cultivated varieties when very ripe
Diospyros virginiana - American Persimmon
Edible Portion: Fruit, Leaves - Tea, Seeds - Coffee
A medium sized deciduous tree. It can be 30 m tall. In cultivation it is often only 6-9 m high. The bark is dark brown to black. It cracks into small squares. The leaves are alternate. The leaves are oval and 12 cm long by 7.5 cm across. They are pointed and do not have teeth. The flowers are separately male and female and on separate plants. They are bell shaped and about 1 cm long. The flowers are cream. The male flowers occur in clusters and the female ones occur singly. The fruit are small to medium sized and sweet. They are 3-4.5 cm across. They are green and ripen to reddish yellow or orange. They are sweet and edible.
Dovyalis abyssinica - Dovyalis (Abyssinian), African Gooseberry
Edible Portion: Fruit
A medium sized shrub. It grows up to 10 m tall. It has many branches. The trunk is up to 20 cm thick. Young branches can have spines. The bark is grey brown. There are many raised lenticels. The leaves are oval and slender. They are 2.5-9 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The edges of the leaves can be wavy or jagged. Plants are separately male and female. Flowers are green. Male flowers are covered in soft hairs. They are in clusters in the axils of leaves. Female flowers occur singly. The fruit are small and orange. They are round and have pale dots. They are up to 2 cm across. The flesh is yellow. They are very acid and have a strong smell. The seeds are few and flat.
